Thoracic Empyema as Rare Complication of an Appendicular Mass: A Case Study and Review of the Literature

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic empyema is an infrequent complication of appendicitis that has rarely been reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: The case of a 11-year-old boy who was admitted for medical management of an appendicular mass is presented. His clinical course was complicated by the development of an appendicular abscess and an extensive right-sided empyema. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted including the most representative cases. The data were collected and analyzed by two independent investigators. Ten cases were found. Most patients were young individuals (mean age: 25.1 years; male : female ratio: 0.5). Risk factors for thoracic empyema included pregnancy (10%) and age (60%). The most frequent organisms isolated were Escherichia coli, Bacteroides spp., and Klebsiella spp. The survival rate was 100%. CONCLUSION: Thoracic empyema should be considered a potential cause of respiratory distress in patients with appendicitis. Furthermore, the abdomen should be carefully evaluated as a source of infection in patients with thoracic empyema without an underlying lung disease.